Unruly prisoners in the state of Vermont refer to one particular meal as “mean cuisine.” That’s because it contains whole wheat bread, non-dairy cheese, raw carrots, spinach, seedless raisins, Great Northern beans, vegetable oil, tomato paste, powdered milk, and dehydrated potato flakes that are mixed and baked — otherwise known as “Nutraloaf.” The flavorless brick is then served at room temperature. Those who have tasted it say it’s hard to imagine anybody eating more than a bite of it. The only thing that has kept the unappealing brick from being banned is its nutritional value. It has vegetables, protein, and roughly 1,100 calories. The 8th Amendment — which bans cruel and unusual punishment — requires only that prisoners receive food that is “adequate to maintain health” — it need not be tasty or aesthetically pleasing. The good thing is that it’s only served to inmates who are placed in solitary confinement for misuse of food and bodily waste. Bon appétit!

Sunday, June 7, 2020

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On This Day

1968 Sirhan Sirhan is indicted for the assassination of US Senator Robert Kennedy. He was sentenced to life in prison. He has been up for parole 15 times, denied each time on the grounds that he has not expressed adequate remorse for his crime.

Fact of the Day

The 1883 Eruption of Krakatoa in Indonesia was so loud that it was heard over 3,000 miles away, which is the equivalent of hearing a sound from Ireland while you are in Boston. It ruptured the eardrums of sailors over 40 miles away.

Nature Oddities

Rats can go up to 2 weeks without water, longer than camels, who can only go 3-5 days without water.

Food and Drink

English legend claims that the name “sirloin steak” comes from when King James I of England was so impressed by the quality of his steak that he knighted the loin of beef, which was referred to thereafter as “Sirloin.”